Man sentenced to life without parole for Santa Cruz double murder

SANTA CRUZ -- A Santa Cruz County judge on Tuesday sentenced a convicted murderer to back-to-back sentences that will send the gunman to prison for the rest of his life.

Jaime Galdamez Guevara sat in silence and listened as Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Volkmann sentenced him to two life terms for each of two murder counts, 82 years to life for attempted murder and three years for gang membership. The terms are to be served consecutively, Volkmann ordered.

A jury convicted Guevara of gunning down Oscar Ventura, 18, and Alejandro Nava Gonzalez, 21. The two were found Jan. 23, 2010, by Santa Cruz police slumped on a couch in their Canfield Street apartment, each shot in the head. Guevara also was convicted of attempted murder when he fired at a third man but missed. He had been sitting between the two victims when they were shot.

The motive for the murders was never clear except for the fact that Guevara, a known street gang member, was trying to maintain or earn respect, prosecutor Celia Rowland said.

Two weeks after the homicides, Guevara was arrested at a home in Madera.

Volkmann, after reading Guevara's sentence, paused a moment before addressing members of the victims' families who were present in court.

"This gentleman will never get out of custody. This gentleman will stay in the prison system for the rest of his life," Volkmann said.

The sentence followed a morning in which letters from both victims' families were read in court. A court interpreter translated several letters from Gonzalez's relatives describing him as a social person who was counted upon by his family to send money every two weeks.

"We will never again talk about projects and accomplished goals, and all of this because he was deprived of life," a relative wrote in one letter.

Three family members of Ventura's family read their letters. Their letters, written and read in Spanish, were translated by a court interpreter.

"I could write a book saying how this affected us as a family. And not just the family but his circle of friends," said one family member, fighting back tears.

The same person asked several times why Guevara did it.

"Why did you do it? What did you gain from it?" she said.

A key piece of evidence during the trial were two teardrop tattoos under Guevara's right eye. Guevara received the tattoos in jail after he was arrested on suspicion of the double homicides. Santa Cruz police said the tattoos can show that the person has killed someone.

Defense attorneys argued the tears signified Guevara took the blame for someone else.

Guevara, now 21, listened to the proceedings through a court interpreter. He quietly sat as the letters were read.

Rowland said Guevara looked over and laughed while a victim's relative read a letter. Guevara also puffed his chest out at one point, she said.

"I find him despicable," Rowland said.

Public defender Heather Rogers said the actions were misinterpreted. In her conversations with Guevara, he seemed remorseful, Rogers said. Guevara had a friend in the courtroom and may have been looking back to smile at him, Rogers said.

Rogers read a statement on Guevara's behalf that said in part: "He's sorry for the families' loss."

His attorney said Guevara thought there wasn't a need to apologize to the family members for the double homicides because he maintains his innocence.

During the trial, Rogers argued the actual shooter was Juvenal Lainez, a high-ranking member of the Mara Salvatrucha gang. Lainez is wanted on similar charges for aiding and abetting in the murders.

Authorities believe Lainez fled to El Salvador after the shooting and may be in the U.S. under a different name.